As the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close yesterday, Nigeria’s D’Tigress Coach Rene Wakama has been deservedly awarded Best Coach after guiding D’Tigress to an array of historical milestones in the Summer Games.
“Best coach of #Paris2024 Women’s Basketball, Rene Wakama, Nigeria,” a tweet on the official X handle of the International Basketball Federation read on Sunday.
The Nigerian team stole the show on the opening day by defeating Australia, making it the first time they had won a group phase game.
A stunning defeat against Canada followed a few days later, setting Nigeria as the first African team to take two wins at the Games.
With this impressive performance, the Nigerian team progressed to the knockout phase, becoming the first African team in history, men or women category, to play in the Olympic Quarter-Finals.
However, their efforts proved futile when they suffered a defeat at the hands of impeccable opponents the USA.
Background
Rene Wakama was born on the 11th of April, 1992 in North Carolina, USA to Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba, who hail from Okrika in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Wakama once competed with Nigeria’s First Bank team at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women before coaching.
Her coaching career began when she moved to Manhattan College, USA, where she was promoted to assistant coach in her third year.
